This invention relates generally to a point of sale financial transaction terminal and more particularly to a drawer for facilitating insertion and removal of a merchant card (smart card) and a method for manipulating the drawer and merchant card with respect to the terminal.
A merchant card, i.e., smart card, is typically a credit-card sized plastic card with an embedded computer chip and a physical connector on the surface of the card. The chip may either be a microprocessor with an internal memory or a memory chip with a non-programmble logic. The use of smart cards (hereinafter xe2x80x9cmerchant cardsxe2x80x9d) has gained widespread acceptance as evidenced by the number of existing applications as well as those currently being developed, especially in the financial industry. One such application for the merchant card is a recordation of financial transactions between two parties (e.g., customer and merchant).
Point-of-sale (xe2x80x9cPOSxe2x80x9d) financial transaction terminals are one type of device in which the above-described application may be transacted. In these types of terminals, a merchant card is typically housed within the terminal and collects information pertinent to financial transactions between a merchant and various customers. In this respect, POS financial transaction terminals possessing a merchant card are used, for example, to record the amount of the purchase made with a customer card (e.g., debit or charge card) and credited directly to the merchant card. In other words, the transaction amount is debited from the customer card and credited to the merchant card. Thus, the merchant card may be a useful tool to for a merchant to collect payment from his or her customers. As such, the merchant card may also be potentially valuable and thus a target for would-be criminals.
It is thus advantageous for the merchant to remove the merchant card for safe storage and/or deposit into a financial institution after the merchant card has recorded a sufficient number of transactions or at the end of a business day. In this regard, the merchant card may be removably placed within the financial transaction terminals. However, in an effort to deter would-be thieves, merchant cards are generally positioned in relatively hidden and inaccessible areas of the terminals. For example, merchant cards are typically positioned on a bottom side of the transaction terminals. As an added measure, merchant cards are typically housed within the terminal with a cover threadably fastened to the housing of the terminal.
Although these types of terminals may provide some level of protection against theft, they suffer from a variety of drawbacks and disadvantages. For instance, due to the positioning and fastening of the merchant cards, an increased possibility of merchant cards becoming damaged exists. That is, to remove the merchant cards, the entire terminal must be flipped over and a tool (e.g., screwdriver) is required to remove a cover member. Thereafter, the merchant card is manually removed from its connection to the terminal. This series of maneuvers can be quite cumbersome and the likelihood that the terminal and/or the merchant card will become damaged arises.
Known transaction terminals of this type also typically include a number of multi-Security Access Module (xe2x80x9cSAMxe2x80x9d) connectors, as well as, the SAMs inserted within the connectors. Additionally, these terminals include a merchant card connector and a merchant card. In certain situations, all of the above-cited components of the terminals must be accessed by the merchant (e.g., when the SAMs or merchant card must be replaced). In order to allow access to these components by the merchant, known terminals of this type are typically rather large. These types of terminals are rather disadvantageous because they require a large amount of counter space, which merchants generally require for other devices (e.g., cash register, scanners, etc.).
Moreover, in known transaction terminals of this type, the merchant card is normally inserted directly into the merchant card connector of the transaction terminal. This type of connection is disadvantageous because it positions the merchant card to a greater possibility of damage. For instance, because the merchant card is directly inserted into the merchant card connector without any outside support, the physical connector of the merchant card is susceptible of suffering surface damage.
Accordingly, there is a need for a financial transaction terminal in which the position of the merchant card is relatively hidden from view and which can be inserted and removed from the terminal without requiring that the terminal be turned over. Additionally, a merchant card cover which can be removed without a tool is desirable.
In addition, there is a need for a relatively small financial transaction terminal having sufficient space to allow for rather easy access to the multi-SAMs and the merchant card as well as the their respective connectors.
Furthermore, it is advantageous to have a terminal which effectively protects the merchant card during insertion thereof into the terminal.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention pertains to a drawer assembly for covering multi-secure access module connectors and a merchant card connector housed within a cavity of a financial transaction terminal. The drawer assembly includes a first member and a second member. The first member is connected to the second member to thereby form a space therebetween for receiving and holding a merchant card. The second member includes a movable tab member having an upper surface and a lower surface, the tab member extending from an end of the second member. The drawer assembly is capable of securedly holding and positioning a merchant card for insertion into and removal from the financial transaction terminal and the drawer assembly is capable of interconnecting with the terminal. When the merchant card is positioned in the drawer assembly, a downward movement of the movable tab causes the drawer assembly to become released from the terminal, such that removal of the drawer assembly causes the merchant card to disengage from the merchant card connector to thereby facilitate removal of the merchant card from the financial transaction terminal.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention relates to a financial transaction terminal for transferring credit information from a customer card to a merchant card. The terminal includes a housing having an upper side and a bottom side, a cavity for allowing access to at least one multi-secure access module connector and a merchant card connector formed in the bottom side of the terminal. The cavity has a generally downwardly extending lip provided at a front part of the cavity. The terminal also includes a drawer assembly capable of being removably inserted over the cavity to substantially cover the cavity. A merchant card is securedly and removably held in a space formed in the drawer assembly, such that the merchant card is inserted into the merchant card connector when the drawer assembly is generally fully inserted into the cavity and the merchant card is removed from the merchant card connector when the drawer assembly is removed from the cavity.
According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method of manipulating a merchant card with respect to a financial transaction terminal. The financial transaction terminal having a merchant card connector positioned in a cavity located in a bottom portion of the terminal. In the method, a drawer assembly having a tab member is provided for substantially covering the cavity. A rear end of the merchant card is positioned into a space defined in the drawer assembly, such that the merchant card is substantially securely maintained within the drawer assembly. The drawer assembly and merchant are inserted into the cavity to thereby substantially cover the cavity, such that the merchant card is substantially simultaneously inserted into the merchant card connector.